Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
I’m preparing this edition of “Walking with Jesus” in the Chicago area in the middle of winter. I’m here to participate in the ‘Celebration of Life’ service for my uncle who was a man who impacted and influenced the lives of many, many people. That causes me to ask an important question for all of us… what will be our life legacy when our earthly life journey is complete? What will people think and say when they gather to remember your life and mine?
I left you yesterday in the Valley of Elah in Israel about the year 1020bc. We watched a young shepherd boy take down the giant Goliath with one stone and his sling. That one sling shot found the only small opening in Goliath’s helmet and lodged a stone deep into Goliath’s forehead and he was dead before he hit the ground! Just to make sure, David cut off Goliath’s head. It was a remarkable day and victory for the God of Israel! It was clearly one of the days which defined David’s legacy, and which made him famous even to this day, 3000 years later!
1 Samuel 18 gives us the account of what happened over the next several months as King Saul and David both responded to this remarkable, victorious achievement. Let’s look at several key statements which seem to frame the dramatic rise in David’s popularity and legacy.
1 Samuel 18:5 “Whatever King Saul sent David to do, David did it so successfully that Saul gave him a high rank in Israel’s army, this pleased all the people and Saul’s officials as well.” Of course, following David’s amazing victory over Goliath, the people were delighted to see Saul give David any responsibility and leadership role. And it appears David’s work ethic and his integrity very quickly elevated him to a place of popularity and respect. It causes us to ask ourselves if the same is true of us? In every responsibility entrusted to us, do we accomplish it with excellence and diligence?
But as we might expect, popularity has two dark consequences…PRIDE and JEALOUSY, right? In this case David rejected pride and remained humble, but Saul very quickly became jealous of David’s growing popularity. 1 Samuel 18:9 says, “Saul kept a jealous eye on David.” It didn’t take long, and that jealous insecurity of Saul’s turned darker “Saul was afraid of David because the LORD was with David but had left Saul. So, Saul sent David away from him and gave him command over 1000 men. In everything David did he had great success, because the LORD was with him. When Saul saw how successful David was, Saul was afraid of him. But all Israel loved David.” (1 Samuel 18:12-15)
Have you ever found yourself in this type of competitive situation? Perhaps it was sibling rivalry and you felt your parents preferred one of your siblings more than you. Maybe it was an employment situation and you were passed over for a promotion because of a personal friendship the other person had with the boss, even though you were more qualified and your work more effective? Maybe you were the person in charge but you sensed the people looked to someone else to lead and make the decisions? Have you seen the work of the dark kingdom in the heart and mind of a person caught up in these types of competitive situations? I wonder how you’ve found God’s peace when it was your heart deeply troubled?
Let’s look at one more statement which paints a clear picture of a deteriorating leadership culture in Israel with King Saul: “When Saul realized that the LORD God was with David and that Saul’s daughter loved David, Saul became even more afraid of David and Saul remained David’s enemy the rest of his days. The Philistine commanders continued to go out to battle against Israel and as often as they did, David met with more success than the rest of Saul’s officers, and David’s name became well known.” (1 Samuel 18:28-30)
It’s quite clear, isn’t it my friends, what is happening here? Remember David has the Holy Spirit of God guiding him, protecting him, blessing him, and the Spirit of God has departed from Saul, and Saul realizes the difference the Spirit of God makes in a person. (1 Samuel 16:13,14) Do you and I understand the significant difference the presence and power of the Holy Spirit of God makes in a person, my friends? Can we see it and understand it in ourselves?
As we know David wrote many of the Psalms, and I wonder if Psalm 86 was written by David during this time when he was overwhelmed by what God was doing in David’s life, as David rose in influence and Saul declined in influence in Israel. Psalm 86 says: “Hear O LORD and answer me…Guard my life, for I am devoted to You. You are my God’ save your servant who trusts in You. Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I call to You all day long. Bring joy to Your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul… Teach me Your way, O LORD, and I will walk in Your truth; give me an undivided heart that I may fear Your name. I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify Your name forever…”
Do you hear David’s humble heart, his devotion to God, his delight in being a servant of God, doing whatever God’s will is for him at any time? Do you hear David’s deep desire to learn God’s ways, God’s truth and to walk faithfully in it? Do you hear David’s determination to defeat pride in his life by nurturing both his love for God and his fear and reverence of God. And finally, do you see David’s determination to live for God’s glory and praise at all times? Oh my what a contrast with Saul’s hardening, darkening, jealous, angry heart.
Let’s pause right here, sitting with David as he pens Psalm 86 and reflecting on the dramatic contrast between David and Saul, as they build their legacy which now, 3000 years later, have been passed down through the generations to modern day Israel and even to us.
Let’s look honestly at our hearts and consider the legacies we are building with our lives and here’s a worship song to help us in that self-evaluation.
Today’s Scripture: 1 Samuel 18.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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